Editor’s Note: Yes, we know it’s just a touch early, but our resident Too Human expert and SGC Member, Rcwpong, already freaking knows everything about the game and we thought we’d share it with you. Enjoy!

Fellow Sarcastic Gamers, the SGC’s own Silicon Knights’ uber fanboy is here to help you get started in the ancient, yet futuristic world of Too Human. I expect my Little Orphan Dyack secret decoder ring in the mail any day now. Soon I’ll be able to decode all those eccentric posts he leaves on boards like NeoGAF that are actually secret messages to his devoted followers. “Be sure to drink your cybernetic Ovaltine”

Check out my exhaustive Survival guide for Too Human and an exclusive walkthrough of the Demo, with every secret revealed! After the jump!

Now, on with the show. To help clarify some terminology that I will be using later, we need to get the basic controls and combat mechanics out of the way. Many people were not able to gleam from the Xbox Live Demo, the various nuances of Too Human’s action elements, so I will explain in full. Many thanks to LegenDerelict for the multiple bits and pieces I snagged from his well put together Too Human Wiki.

Too Human’s control scheme for both ranged and melee is controlled in a similar style to a twin stick shooter like Geometry Wars, or perhaps a better match would be Smash TV. The left stick controls movement, while the right stick will control the direction that Baldur directs both melee and ranged attacks.

Ranged attacking works by the combo of RS plus the triggers. If you have pistols, the left and right triggers are the left and right guns, accordingly. If you have a rifle, the left trigger is a secondary fire, (usually grenade or more powerful shot) while the right trigger is your regular rifle shot. Both abilities draw from the same ammo pool which is unlimited but does need to be reloaded. Your right stick controls what you fire at. Depending on your class or armor bonuses, you’re lock on range will vary.

For melee attacking, SK has tried a new approach to third person melee fighting, by adding a slide mechanic that brings you into melee range of a enemy without a lot of swinging at dead air, or swinging and missing a monster just outside of reach. There is still a limited distance to the slide mechanic, depending on your class, so you can’t slide through the whole level but certain classes and armor bonuses can give increased slide distance which can help you chain slides together, but we’ll discuss that later. This leaves no analog stick for the camera but you can use the D-Pad up and down to move the camera closer or further away and tap the Left Shoulder Button to re-center it behind you. Left on the D-Pad toggles the HUD on/off and right toggles a Damage Meter.

Fierce/Finisher Attack - Tap both the left and right stick in the same direction once to unleash one of these attacks. Which attack depends on how far away your enemy is. From range you will throw out a Fierce energy wave with a sword, a circle of energy with a spear, or toss your hammer like a jedi’s saber throw. The Fierce attack will knockback most normal enemies helping keep them at a distance and is great on bosses to weaken their shields. If your enemy is in melee range, you will unleash a multi-hit combo with a strong Finisher swing. This Finisher attack can also be used in midair and if it is started, will keep you airborne until it is completed.

* Both of these attacks do bonus damage to enemy shields like those found on Leaders or the Troll’s chest armor.Juggling – Double tap the RS in an enemy’s direction to uppercut them into the air. You can then follow them in the air by hitting A and then pushing the RS in their direction. This can be tricky at first, but after a bit of practice it will be second hand. It’s a great way to stay above the frantic action below and avoid being hit by other enemies while you lay the smack down. You can also shoot them after a juggle to keep them in the air with gunfire, DMC style, without the frantic button mashing. Juggling is the safest way to keep an elite or leader from running right at you and smashing your face in. *Ahem* Don’t try to juggle a Troll.

The Sword and Staff normally juggle 1 enemy at a time, hammers pound the ground performing an Area of Effect juggle.Ruiner – Right Shoulder Button, room clearing AOE spell. Uses your combo meter when activated. Eventually you will choose an Alignment secondary skill tree and this will have an effect on your Ruiners. Initially it will be a flash of light around your character. If you pick the Cyber Alignment your Ruiner will be based on your equipped weapon. If you pick the Human alignment you will have the Ruiner linked to your class’ spirit. For example, the Berserker’s Ruiner is the bear pictured below.Ruiners also do bonus damage to enemy shields

Spider Skill - Y Button. What this does, is determined by your class skill tree selection and is not dependent on anything for its activation other than a cooldown timer. This item is also what allows you to activate wells in the world to enter Cyberspace. Fear not, it can’t be permanently destroyed.

Battle Cry – X Button. This is also determined by the skill tree path you choose, but it initially costs 1 combo level to activate. It is a temporary buff, identified by a circle of Norse Runes around your character. It will also affect your partner, if you are playing co-op.

Sentient Weapon – At the bottom of every Class skill tree is the “Spirit of Fenrir” Sentient Weapon skill. Fenrir the Wolf of Norse legend has been imprisoned as an AI construct and downloaded into whichever weapon you are currently using. Once you have the skill, click RS and LS simultaneously and Fenrir will take over and your weapon will start cleaving through enemies by itself giving you a full combo level for each enemy killed. This ability, like the spider is only limited by a cooldown timer.You won’t be able to get to this in the demo but it’s still a cool ability to look forward to.

Before we get into more advanced combat and why you’d want to learn it, let’s meet the Heads Up Display. I’m going to assume most people know some basics like EXP and Hit Points and just cover some things that may not be immediately apparent to my seasoned sarcastic bretheren.

The Combo Meter – Think of it as the power meter in a fighting game. This is the reason not to skip the advanced combat section coming up. Using advanced tactics you will fill your combo meter faster than if you just point the RS towards a group of enemies. Why should you care? Your combo meter is the “mana” supply for activating abilities like your room clearing Ruiner or the group boosting Battle Cry buff. Fill the whole circle to gain 1 level to a default maximum of 3. It gives a % bonus for XP earned up to combo level 3. It will also increase your attack power and speed per level. This is reset to 0 if you die.

The Berserker class and Human Alignment both have skills adding 1 extra combo level for a maximum possible combo level of 5. If you’re online co-op with a friend’s Berserker you can actually reach combo level 6…dear God.

Hit Counter - A running tally of your uninterrupted successful hits against enemies.This can come into play based on skills you choose or certain runic charm quests you may try to achieve. Certain skills will affect variables like your attack speed or your damage based on how high you get the hit counter. Charm quests you pick up may have requirements such as “Kill 200 enemies with your hit counter above 50″.Enemies too far to slide to? Fire your ranged weapon, even if it sucks, to keep your hit counter alive while you close the distance.

Efficiency - This meter will come into play in the full game when you choose an Alignment and it is tied to your Hit Counter. As you reach certain Hit Counter goals the efficiency percentage will show you either how much cheaper skills like the Ruiner and Battle cry are to cast, or how much bonus damage you are doing.

Ammo Amount – Active reload it ain’t, however if you click the RS before you run your ranged ammo dry you will reload faster than if you keep shooting until you’re on empty. For ranged classes like the Commando it pays to get the rhythm down for manually reloading right before you hit zero. Remember grenades take a chunk out of the same meter and if you hit grenade without enough ammo left for one, you will trigger a reload just so you can actually fire that grenade.

Ammo Type - Slug is fast direct damage, Plasma is slower but explodes on contact causing damage in an area and Laser increases in damage the longer it is held on a single target (great for mini-bosses). It may come in handy to check the icon if you see a mini-boss coming up and switch weapons accordingly.

* Remember, the Back button on the 360 will take you directly to the Equipment menu.

4. Advanced CombatThis stuff isn’t hard to learn, but if you remember to do it, you’ll be mowing down goblins, elves and trolls a lot faster.

2 in 1 CombosThe Slide Combo – Once Baldur is headed toward an enemy, rotate the right stick to a nearby enemy in another direction. After contact is made with the first enemy you’ll zip away before they can counterattack to the 2nd enemy and receive bonus speed, damage and combo meter. This “pingponging” can be maintained as long as there are enemies in range to point toward and you can keep directing the right stick one step ahead of the enemy you’re attacking.

The Juggle Combo – Just like the Slide Combo except instead of changing direction, double tap toward the initial enemy mid-slide and you’ll knock them much higher and receive bonus combo meter.

The Finisher Combo – Just like the Juggle Combo but just tap both sticks toward the enemy once and get bonus damage and combo meter from your Finisher.

The Ruiner Combo - Saved the best for last. Like the other combos but as you’re sliding to an enemy just hit RB. This fires off your ruiner at 50% cost. If you have a full combo meter this will keep you at the same level but cut the meter in half, thus you’ll still get to keep all the speed/XP bonuses and just have to fill half the meter back up.

Ranged TacticsPriority targetting – While shooting, double tap RS in a direction to prioritize air targets. Very helpful in shooting down enemy incoming missiles.Gun juggle – Best way for a ranged fighter like the Commando to increase the hit counter. Juggle something into the air and keep it there by shooting it.

Troll SurfingDem boys is big, but they fall hard. Unless they’re an elite, all you need to do is destroy his chest armor and you can one-shot him. You’ll see a context icon of the A button show up when you circle around to his back. Hit it and you’ll grapple your way on top of him. Once you’re there, balance yourself using the LS. If he tilts left, go right. If he tilts right, well you get the picture. Once a few seconds have passed and you’re steady just flick the RS to put your Sword/Staff/Hammer through his head. Bingo. Down goes Frazier.

Next up: Classes. Everything you ever wanted to know, on the next page.

5. ClassesFor posterity’s sake, here is how you play all classes in the demo. Disconnect from Xbox Live and boost your calendar to 2009. This gives you the Berserker and Commando. To use the Defender or Bioengineer you can do one of the following: Select the class and mash the A button while clicking left or right to a new class, or start by holding left or right and IMMEDIATELY hit the A button when you circle over your class of choice. ,

Berserker – “The best defense is a good offense.” This class sacrifices ranged damage for increased Melee damage, attack speed and slide distance. He is also the only class that can use Dual Wield melee weapons. All that offense means he has to travel light. Not much armor or health pool for him. If you get caught with your pants down it won’t be pretty. His guns are mostly for show or to keep a hit counter alive. Master the slide combo and you will love him.

Defender - “Can’t DPS when you’re dead.” This class has increased resistances to all damage types, is immune to the knockdown effect of missiles and has a passive bonus that helps keep enemy agression on him. He is also the only class that can wield the weapon/shield combos. The shield does qualify when armor or runes say they increase “dual wield” dammage. However, he cannot actually dual wield like the Berserker. While he may not do massive damage he can wade right into battle with a big hammer and whack entire packs of enemies into the air. If they all try to gang up on him…Good. He’s got them right where he wants them.

Champion - “Jack of all Trades, master of a strange one.” This class is perfect for mixing and matching your combat. He’s decent at both ranged and melee but his true strength lies in the air. Equip the Champion with a hammer, or partner with someone who has one and watch him zoom after an AoE juggle like the Berserker from one enemy to another…mid-air! He can stay up there for quite a while, and he will always give both himself and his group a passive critical strike chance.

Commando - “You go on ahead, I’ll cover you.” This is the class that reminds me of Smash TV. He receives ridiculous bonuses to all ranged damage, at the cost of reduced melee damage. Do not go charging in with his staff, trying to be a hero. If an elite, or leader kamikazees at you, that’s one of the few times to whip out that melee weapon. Juggle them in the air then use your gun to keep them there. If the horde is charging you, grenades are your friend.

Bioengineer – “Somebody call a medic?” Last we come to the healer. He has reduced melee and ranged damage but a huge hitpoint pool and a base group skill that is a constant HoT (Heal over Time). His initial skill trees will negate his deficiencies allowing him to either specialize in 1H/2H weapons, or add a chance to charm enemies on contact to have them fight on your side for a short duration. Pair him with any of the other classes in co-op and along with his Battle Cries that work like group heals, there won’t be much your group can’t handle.

5. MenusEquipment MenuWhere the loot gets used. Bottom left panel will show what you have equipped, top left will show what you have selected. You can sell any loot at any time just by hitting Y. No annoying Town portals needed anymore. The auto-salvage will automatically sell anything with the rarity level you select or below. I tend to leave it on gray, but you won’t run out of space in the demo.

RunesThese act similarly to Diablo 2. There will be weapons and armor that have an “Empty Rune Slot” you can hit X at the equipment menu to jump to the rune selection and pick a rune to insert. These are also used to activate Charms so be careful what you use or sell. You might have needed that particular rune to complete a charm.

Runic CharmsThese are challenges that are acquired much like loot but once you equip them and achieve what they request you can then insert the proper runes into them to activate their effect. Most of these effects occur based on a chance proc rate. Example: Kill 200 enemies – Chance on contact to trigger a minor explosion.

BlueprintsThese are the sought after loot drops. There are 4 Obelisks in the demo that can drop an epic armor blueprint for you. The full game will also have armor blueprints. Go into the equipment menu to pay the bounty to construct the item if you like its properties and then go to the equipment menu where it will now be located to equip it. The armor you get in the demo is all from a specific set. Armor will have set bonuses if you collect the entire set.

Ok, I’m throwing together a quick rundown of the “not to be missed” parts of the demo just to make sure everyone doesn’t skip something worthwhile. We’ll go step by step and I’ll add pointers where I can.

Opening scene, the colonial marines, I mean wolfpack, are in for some chop. The assault vehicle lands and in they go. Hope this isn’t gonna be another bug hunt. Walk in the main doorway, zoom the camera out and check the 3d texture on the main hall entrance floor. Spiffy. Now, either head left to a group of soldiers by a statue and hear Baldur explain where you are and why it was built, or head right and get ready to smash heads. Once you go through the hallway a Goblin will play Peeping Tom high above you. This is one of the many interactive camera scenes Silicon Knights will have in Too Human. Unfortunately Baldur doesn’t actually see him so just keep running. Get ready to rumble.

Goblins ahead, this time you can kick his ass mid-cinematic. As it shifts to his vision head right toward the camera with guns blazing. Unless you have crap short range pistols you should start to hit him and you are actually able to kill the goblin before the cinematic even finishes. Neat eh? Ok, time to put that combat training to work. In the beginning you’ll have zero combo level so using every advanced tactic you can will help boost your meter faster. This will also get you to the % XP bonus faster and make it easier to hit level 7 or even 8 by the end of the demo.

Ok, next there’s even more goblins and some missile boys this time. Go for these guys first, if you can. Missile knockdown can really put a kink in your groove.

After finishing them off, one of the the wolfpack bites the big one. Ooh Valkyrie, I wonder if she “needs food badly.” Flashback to why you’re even in this goblin infested place. If the story confuses you, check online for the Opening cinematic. It’s on most places like gametrailers and has a part 1 and 2 to explain what Baldur and Heimdall are talking about.

Flashback over, more stuff to kill. Hopefully your first level up. Throw those points into your base skill and move on. Long hallway with 2 missile goblins and a shielded leader at the end. Work your way through. Once the missiles start to fly, just dodge and roll to them and either juggle/combo/Ruiner them somehow. Then the leader will come at you. His shield can be an issue. Fierce/Finisher, or Ruiner will take it off like dress on prom night. Then beat him down.

Next room, 2 more missile boys and a bunch of goblins, nothing you haven’t handled before. Up the steps and say hello to your first Troll. Jumpm or roll as he smashes the ground to avoid the AoE damage. Fierce attack, or Guns from afar to shatter his chest armor, or if you wanna be gutsy, dash in, jump up and Finisher combo him in the face. Then roll behind him and hit A. Balance on him like the “Troll Surfing” section in Advanced Combat and finish him off.